Wall Tent or Tipitent?

[Hunt-4-Life]

So I'm looking to start puting together my own comfortable base camp set up. I've been in wall tent camps for the last few years and like them, but they're pretty heavy and require tarps drapped over them to water proof them. The tipitent is much lighter and more compact, can have a stove or an open fire, and is waterproof on it's own with no extra tarps. However, I'm 6'4" and I'm wording if I would be stuck in the center of the tipitent all the time by the sloping walls.

I want a tent that will last a long time and be useful for three season camping (fall hunting, winter ice fishing/hunting, and spring fly fishing/bear hunting). My kids are small and I'd like to have a workable base camp set up by the time they're old enough to join moose camp. Therefore I want a tent that will last a good 10-15 years at least.

Anyone have any useful experience with either or preferably both these shelters? I'm leaning toward the tipitent bit I'm worried about it's longevity whereas a properly cared for walltent lasts for a long time.

[ryanb]

I have a blended wall tent. Light nylon walls and a canvas roof. The tent itself weighs around 25 lbs for a 10x12. In comparison my 12x14 all canvas tent I had before weighed about 55 lbs. Canvas is breathable and therefore you don`t get condensation dripping from overhead. The walls will pick up some condensation but since you don`t have to touch them its not a problem. An all canvas tent is even better. You don`t usually get any condensation even on the walls. I don`t tarp the roof of my tent and there is never a problem. If it`s raining really hard you might get the odd drop from a seam, but rarely anything at all.

The tipi tent on the other hand has condensation forming overhead which will drip on you. They also take a VERY large footprint for a relatively small useable space inside. I see zero advantage to these.

[BCBRAD]

https://www.google.ca/search?q=glacier+tent&safe=off&tbm=isch&imgil=t7dgb0QKeg_o3M%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252F encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9 GcRYZYj6UqFy9fx74a_SQDB8YSzVg8pbhTlPfAP8y4TCzN02gN Zwdg%253B1024%253B768%253BwnQYzgadRgKbJM%253Bhttp% 25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.huntingbc.ca%25252Fforum%2 5252Fshowthread.php%25253F43021-Wall-Tent-Set-Up-Information%25252Fpage2&source=iu&usg=__DzE6azY-8hVzhH98FLdXbm-B2Jc%3D&sa=X&ei=MKobU-GSI9fjoAS264J4&ved=0CEkQ9QEwBA&biw=1280&bih=560#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=t7dgb0QKeg_o3M%253A%3BwnQYzgadRgKbJM%3Bhttp% 253A%252F%252Fi234.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252F ee304%252Fwhelenpg%252Fhuntingsept2009101.jpg%3Bht tp%253A%252F%252Fwww.huntingbc.ca%252Fforum%252Fsh owthread.php%253F43021-Wall-Tent-Set-Up-Information%252Fpage2%3B1024%3B768



The one in the fore ground is a Glacier tent, after a few wall tents the glacier is the way to go.

[eric]

Been running a 12 man Kifaru tipi tent for 15 yrs now,would never go back to a canvas wall tent.
You being at 6'4" are going to run into head room problems with a tipi.
If you don't dry out any canvas tent properly, you are going to have mold problems.
My Tipi with Titanuim stove and aluminum center pole weighs in at 17 lbs total,so if you are thinking of doing any fly in hunts, something to consider.
This tent has went through 3 boys and still going strong.
As far as having an open fire,not a good idea,melting nylon will leave a bad scar.
Condensation,ya a little bit at times,but I usually leave the door open a bit and no problem or fire up the stove in the morning,good to go
Any more questions,ask away,and I'll try to answer as best I can

[bruin]

Been in some nasty sh!t with a tipi and small stove, it can be a lifesaver over a pup tent. When you get down to -20 and lower the tipi looses heat awful fast! Usually the lowere 1 1/2 feet are frozen. If you get a Xlarge stove it helps. Condensation is always a problem if you're trying to hold the heat in. For a comfy, non-backpack camp I would consider a Cabelas Outfitter tent, bought one of them this year and have been very happy with it so far.

[Cordillera]

I have a canvas wall tent, a cabelas bighorn, and a seek outside 8 person tipi tent. A few observations

Tipi style is definitely not as roomy for a big person. I'm 6' 4". So if you want to spend a lot of time in the tent as a true base camp, they will be squishy.

Condensation is an issue on single wall tents. Especially in really snotty weather with several guys with wet gear. If you really crank up the stove, you can dry out, but it can be annoying with drips.

Depending on your terrain, it can be hard to find to get poles for a wall tent. High elevation camps up north don't have lots of straight trees. We have been to a place with zero trees.

So my partners and I tend to use the cabelas bighorn now for our fly in or boat in hunts. It has lots of headroom, has its own poles for a total weight of 70 pounds. The price was less than a canvass wall tent with aluminum poles and it has served us really well. For true lightweight trips I use the seek outside tipi tent. 12 pounds including the stove.

If weight and price are not an issue, a good canvass wall tent is hard to beat

If you don't have a budget constraint, they make lightweight wall tents for dogsledding.

If you want a reasonably light, not too expensive base camp, then a bighorn might be worth looking at with more headroom than the tipi tent.

Good luck.

[BiG Boar]

We actually used something of a crossover this year. Kind of a mix between the two. No tarp needed, center pole and no real walls except 4, 4 foot wall poles. Worked awesome as a base tent. No condensation. Super light weight. I'd go that way.

[DDD]

Have a blended tent as well. Was a little skeptical at first but the 12X20 Cabela's Alaknak has served us well. I still like the idea of heavy canvas but I'm 6'7" and appreciate being able to stand in this tent. Ease of set up/take down and the reduced weight is nice too.

D

[combine pilot]

Check out Beckel tents canvas 14x14 easy to set up by yourself. If you do not run the liner in the tipi tent condensation is a major problem. The Beckel tent is 35 lbs.

[Ambush]

Check out Beckel tents canvas 14x14 easy to set up by yourself. If you do not run the liner in the tipi tent condensation is a major problem. The Beckel tent is 35 lbs.

Thinking pretty seriously of pulling the trigger on a 14X14 Eena TT from Beckel Canvas.

[325]

I have a 8 man Kifaru Tipi with the large stove. I really like it.

[frenchbar]

i use this tipi .its great ..fast set up and even faster take down ..havent had condensation problems with it with the stove going ..i dont lounge in it i just use it to sleep in basicaly ..good set up for 3 people and cots .http://tipitent.com/images/camo_h1.jpg

[nelsonob1]

I have a Cabelas Alaknak.

It a lot lighter and easier to clean than a traditional wall tent. Definitely very durable and easy to put up by yourself. Good accessories too. Only downside in my view is that they don't retain the heat as well.

[Foxtail]

We use a $200 portable garage from princess auto. Works awesome, just a bit heavy.

[ryanb]

Here`s the blended tent. Great for fly-ins when you can find poles. I also have a light aluminum frame that I bring in the jetboat, weighs about 50 lbs poles and angles.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y288/rbumali/P1010090.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/rbumali/media/P1010090.jpg.html)

[Hunt-4-Life]

I like the portable garage idea for a drive in camp, to use as a cook tent. I want a tent for sleeping that can be used either as a sleep tent for a drive in camp, or a general tent that I can use from a ATV accessed camp or a boat accessed camp. You guys are giving me a couple good ideas.

[Foxtail]

Here's the portable garage at moose camp. Its the model that has a roll up door, so its sealed.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?41967-LEH-Moose-in-5-13-A

[Bigbullsh$tter]

http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i363/Bigbullshitter/Elk052_zps3c388667.jpg (http://s1090.photobucket.com/user/Bigbullshitter/media/Elk052_zps3c388667.jpg.html)

This is a tent i bought 2 years ago. It is from Reliable tent and they call it the Teton. Comes in 10x10 or 12x12. It has served me great the last two hunting seasons. It is very fast and easy to set up, decent amount of head room with an 8'6" peak, and it folds up tight enough to use as a top pack on a horse.

[Trekker]

These snowtrekker tents look pretty cool. http://snowtrekkertents.com/basecamp.html , only 31 pounds for a 10x13 with frame.

[Kudu]

I have never been much of a wall tent type of person, maybe it's because I grew up on a different continent and wall tents did not feature there at all.....

Must say that I do like that Teton tent from reliable tent though....


Our base camp looks like this - and a wood stove is possible.... This one sleeps 8 really comfortably - 4 on queen size beds in separate bedrooms on 4 on cots - fully waterproof and handles 100 mph wind (been there done that)

http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b535/privateaffair/34564127ab66492fe41844d84478d5a7_zpsd30bb549.jpg

Our smaller weekend tent sleeps 4 in two two separate rooms.

http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b535/privateaffair/5250b8f3f149a3ec4ee90560e057bdb6_zpsa817da88.jpg


Spike camp looks like this....

http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b535/privateaffair/95cc8ec918b21f9c84121279efeebdb5_zps3b1f0fe8.jpg

[BCBRAD]

Where did you get the 'Whelen" style lean to ? Cost?

[Hunt-4-Life]

Yeah I save my spike camp set-up for the alpine. I like a warm stove, dry roomy tent and a decent whisky for moose camp.

[Hunt-4-Life]

i use this tipi .its great ..fast set up and even faster take down ..havent had condensation problems with it with the stove going ..i dont lounge in it i just use it to sleep in basicaly ..good set up for 3 people and cots .http://tipitent.com/images/camo_h1.jpg

This is the one that advertises that you can have an open fire, you ever tries that frenchbar? Did it melt the material?

[Everett]

We use a tipi for base camp it has small lightweight stove that keeps us warm and dry.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/DSCF1278.JPG (javascript:;)

And a lighter one for spike amping
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/DSCF1200.JPG (javascript:;)

[frenchbar]

This is the one that advertises that you can have an open fire, you ever tries that frenchbar? Did it melt the material? havent tried it im sure its ok with a small smudge ..just not into stinking it up with smoke ...works great with my stove tho .

[Dannybuoy]

I use a deluxe 14 X 16 wall tent and we have used it in all weather , I have yet to have any dripping? from condensation and I haven't felt the need to cover it with a tarp . I thought that was the idea of marine canvas . It works great for me . Sleeps 4 with room for a table and wood stove .

[yama49]

Here is what we use, awesome for horseback hunting.Only weighs 35lbs(with poles), and one guy can setup in 10 mins.http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq79/JEARL49/PA020338.jpg (http://s435.photobucket.com/user/JEARL49/media/PA020338.jpg.html).